The NGV and Arts Centre lit up on a winter night.

What's on this weekend in Melbourne

Discover things to do in Melbourne this weekend, from free events to exhibitions, attractions and places to visit.

This weekend only

Red and green native correa flowers.
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Melbourne Friends Plant Sale

Melbourne Friends are hosting an autumn plant sale at Royal Botanic Gardens.

Three cute Japanese-style cartoon animals, including a cat, bunny and dog, dressed in clothes and standing in the front yard of a cute cottage, behind a picket fence.
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PomPom Art Market: Sweet Cottage

A cute art and stationery market featuring 100+ talented local and international artists and makers.

Fashion models wearing bridal dresses posed against a backdrop with the words ONE FINE DAY written in black on a white background.
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Wedding Expo

One Fine Day is one of Australia’s most stylish and creative wedding expos.

A three tiered plate stand with savoury and sweet small food items on it, at an outdoor table, with tables and chairs in the background.
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High Chai: Original Chai Co. x Kanika's Kitchen

Let Indian flavours, tradition, and creativity take centre stage as you sip bottomless masala chai.

Two people standing on a stage that looks out to a large hall, people seated at tables and chairs in the space.
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Hope Festival

Celebrate Latin American culture and bring hope and unity to the community.

A netball match featuring the Melbourne Vixens and the Giants.

SSN Round 8: Melbourne Vixens vs Giants Netball

The Vixens take on the Giants in their third home game of the season.

Large group of men of varied ages, many with beards and long hair, wearing hats.

The Spooky Men's Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur

Bringing their anarchic approach to vocal music and reflecting on what it means to be a man.

A woman dressed as a pink flower, with giant petals all around her face, standing against a backdrop of more giant flowers.

Lygon Street Market

Find a perfect gift for Mother's Day.

Aerial view of an interior market with stalls selling clothing and raft, and many people walking around and shopping in the space.

Boho Luxe Market: Christmas Edition

A design market full of handmade, ethically sourced products.

Actor playing Hamlet, holding a skull and gesturing.

Marathon Hamlet

A bold, site-specific reimagining of Hamlet, staged across three National Trust heritage sites.

Two performers in drag, wearing plaid witch outfits and hats sit on a rug, reading a large red book together in a cluttered room.

The Witchy Girls: Premiere Screening

Join Zelda Moon and Lazy Susan for the premiere of The Witchy Girls at The Capitol Theatre.

A completely blurred piece of artwork showing blobs of colour.
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KINGS Artist-Run: April Exhibitions

Presenting shows by Celeste and Lucca de Clario Davis, Gilda Jones and Camille Chapman.

A tan jacket made of squiggly fur on a white dummy torso.
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Let's Party: NGV Fashion for Kids

Step into a vibrant world of colour, creativity and celebration.

A young girl holds an old ship steering wheel.
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Polly Woodside Open Day

Climb aboard and roam the decks of one of Australia’s last surviving 19th-century tall ships.

Cartoon of a movie camera topped with tiny figures.
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Behind the Lines: Are We Rolling?

An exhibition exploring all the twists and turns of another turbulent year in Australian politics.

Cast member of opera production of Don Giovanni, a woman with blonde hair wearing a red dress and cape, holding a small knife stands in front of a wall of dense, colourful flowers.
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Don Giovanni or The Rake Punished

Melbourne Opera's timely production of Don Giovanni (The Rake Punished).

Best discounts and pop-ups this weekend

A dark crowded bar.

Mr Mills

Catch a rotating lineup of local selectors, collectives and special takeovers across the month.

Special offer
A margarita in a cocktail glass, with a salted rim and a slice of lime as garnish.

Dorsett Melbourne

Celebrate Mexican week at Jin Bar with tacos, grilled corn ribs & $12 margaritas, 4-8 May.

Special offer

Plus 5 Bar

Enjoy 90-mins of endless slices of stone-baked pizzas paired with refreshing cocktails, $59pp.

Special offer

Regular weekend events

Five women sitting cross-legged on red blow-up pilates mats, floating on the surface of a hotel pool.
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Aqua Sculpt

Enjoy an intimate yet energising session of floating Pilates in a refined luxury setting.

A large dinosaur model with its mouth open in a park setting.
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Dinos at the Zoo

Let your imagination run wild as you explore the trail of dinosaurs at Melbourne Zoo.

Three ballerinas on a darkened stage in glowing tutu dresses.
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Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show

The classic fairytale is reimagined with glow-in-the-dark costumes and luminous staging.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Sunday Market at Southgate

Explore the Sunday Market at Southgate and meet the makers.

A stylised image of a woman with long red hair wearing a red V-neck shimmering dress, laughing with her head tiled back, seated in a red armchair with a red velvet curtain backdrop, an ice bucket with a bottle of Champagne on the table next to her.
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Piper's Playhouse

Step inside Piper's Melbourne’s most immersive cabaret.

Novelty wind-up chattering teeth against a yellow background.
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Basement Comedy Club: Weekend Showcase

Bringing you the biggest names and best comedians in the country, and beyond.

Three people standing for a selfie on the ground at the MCG.
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Sports Precinct Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne's sports precinct on foot with a local guide, including a tour of the MCG.

Black and white photograph from the 1960s of model, Twiggy, wearing a mini-dress at the Melbourne Cup.
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Swinging 60s

Did the sixties really swing in Victoria? A new exhibition from the Old Treasury Building.

Two people on a stage giving each other a high five, one also holding a microphone.
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Comedy at the Coopers Inn

A comedy club featuring the best local, interstate and international stand-up comedians.

People looking up at the trees on a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Wominjeka: journey into Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide.

Running tour jogging along a Yarra pathway with towers in the background.
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Yarra Sunrise Running Tour

Run Melbourne’s parks, landmarks and Yarra River at sunrise on this 8km tour with coffee to finish.

The shopfront of a Japanese-style craft workshop with brightly coloured craft materials on shelves and a neon sign.
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DIY Craft Workshops

Unleash your creativity at these workshops where everyone is a designer.

Interior of a bar decorated with colourful lamps, small paintings hanging on the red walls, with small tables and chairs arranged in the space.
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Melbourne Hidden Bars Walking Tour

Discover Melbourne's hidden bars – down alleys, in basements and behind closed doors.

A person pouring out a measure of Aperol into a metal measuring cup.
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Cocktail Making Class

Mix, shake and sip your way through the ultimate cocktail class in a hidden Melbourne bar.

The lobby of a comedy venue, with a blue velvet couch and red curtains.
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Sunday Night Stand Up Comedy Show

See some of Melbourne's best stand-up comedy, every Sunday night.

Person looking at a display in a glass case, rows of colourful books in the background.
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World of the Book

Explore the rare, the sacred and the iconic in the 20th anniversary of this annual exhibition.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
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Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

An early watercolour painting of Melbourne's Yarra River.
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Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River

Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.

A concrete green water trough for horses to drink from, in a Melbourne city street.
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Footsteps Through Time: Melbourne's History Walk

Step into Melbourne’s past on this two-hour guided walking tour of laneways and hidden stories.

Three people on a walking tour with a Fit City tour guide, two carrying a takeaway coffee.
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Laneways and Lattes Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne’s hidden laneways with coffee, street art, history and culture.

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A group of people on a guided walk of the Royal Botanic Gardens, with the tour guide pointing at plant specimen.
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Free Guided Walk

A free guided walk is the perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Diners seated at a table and eating from plates that have designs projected onto them from above, as part of an immersive visual art and food experience.
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7 Paintings Dining Experience

A dinner show that combines art, technology, and culinary delight into a unique experience.

A small tour group looking up from the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room.
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State Library Victoria Unlocked

On this exclusive tour, gain access to State Library Victoria before the doors open to the public.

A plate of fluffy pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate over the top.
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Chocolate Family Adventure Day

Enjoy an all-inclusive, stress-free family outing filled with fun, creativity, and delicious treats.

Three coloured gin-based cocktails with platters of snacks.
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Gin-dulgent High Tea Experience

Take your seat for a guided gin high tea like no other with bottomless sparkling.

A green linocut of a flower and foliage printed on paper and a fabric tote bag.
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Tote Bag Block Printing Workshop

Style your bag just the way you like it with block printing in this beginner's workshop.

Man holding an old-fashioned lantern outside illuminated Flinders St Station at night, wearing a suit and cap.
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Hidden Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder and Mystery

Take a spine-chilling journey back in time to explore the rich paranormal realm of Old Melbourne.

The full cast of the musical Book of Mormon on stage singing and dancing, with a painted sky coloured background and other theatre props.
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The Book of Mormon

Australia’s biggest ever musical comedy returns this February.

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
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Mosaic Art Classes: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop in Melbourne!

The open-sided Explorer Bus at Royal Botanic Melbourne Gardens on a path with foliage.
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The Explorer Bus Melbourne

Discover the beauty of this inner-city oasis from the comfort of an open-air minibus.

Three illuminated lamps with cylindrical parchment or fabric shades, decorated with various pressed flowers and small human figures.
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Pressed Flower Lamp Making Workshop

Make your room colourful and vibrant with your own pressed flower lamp.

A drypoint etching in monotones depicting an industrial scene.
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Louise Donovan: Common Ground

Nineteen everyday moments in intimate drypoint by Melbourne artist, Louise Donovan

An ancient Roman marble bust with its nose chipped off, displayed on a small square plinth.
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Rome: Empire, Power, People

This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Ancient Rome.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.
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French Embroidery Workshop

Learn to craft an anemone brooch, from hand-dyeing silk to beadwork.

A man holding a wooden charcuterie board with a selection of cheese and meats, a woman in an apron standing next to him; a deli counter in the background.
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A Taste of Melbourne: Laneways, Boroughs, Bites and Brews

Taste the best of Melbourne on a half day city food and drink tour, departing morning or afternoon.

A tour guide talking to people in the Carlton Gardens, autumn leaves on the grass, the Royal Exhibition Building just visible in the background.
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Badass Women of Melbourne: Women's History Walking Tour

Take a guided walk to uncover the hidden stories of everyday women who shaped Melbourne.

An actor in a suit, shirt and tie, holding a pair of glasses under his chair, with curly brown hair, looking serious.
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Julius Caesar

A thrilling new production of Shakespeare’s political masterpiece.

A person holding paintbrushes stands in an art studio with a colorful abstract painting hanging on the wall.
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Anna Pelc: All the Places I’ve Been

A retrospective exhibition that brings together artworks created over the past decade.

Four hot air balloons floating in front of the Melbourne city skyline during sunrise, with skyscrapers visible in the background.
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Melbourne Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight

Float over Melbourne's iconic landmarks in a sunrise hot air balloon flight.

An abstract, dark sculpture resembling two seahorses against a bright blue background with wavy lines.
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Frances Loriente: What Would We Be if We Were Under the Sea

This exhibition by Frances Loriente explores our connection to the sea and its creatures.

Sixties singer Joan Baez, with long dark hair and earrings.
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Joan Baez: The Road to Woodstock

A play about the rise of the legendary folk singer.

A still from a film showing a family celebrating around a woman sitting in front of a birthday cake.
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Matinees at ACMI Cinemas

Celebrate cinema at a sensible hour with ACMI's thoughtfully curated line-up of films.

Three people on a walking tour with a tour guide in a laneway, looking up.
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Icons of Melbourne Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne’s icons, laneways and hidden gems on this 2hr walking tour with local stories.

Flinders Street Station lit up in blue lights at night for Rising festival.
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What's on in May

Things to do in Melbourne in May, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.

A woman walking through a display with shelves of military-style food packages.
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Taste of Combat

Honouring the vital work of the Catering Corps and the evolution of military food.

Illustration of an old-fashioned typewriter floating on the sea with the white buidings of a Greek island in the background.
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The Mermaid Sings

A play by Carolyn Masson focusing on the life of Charmian Clift.

Soul musician Dinash Daniel resting his hand on a piano keyboard as he poses for a portrait photo in a studio setting.

Dinash and Friends

Enjoy live music in the beer garden – a unique mix of soul, dance, reggae and pop.

A small boat cruising along the Yarra River in the late afternoon sun, with a view of the Melbourne city skyline in the background.
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Mystery Picnic with Self Drive Boat: Melbourne Laneways

Solve clues, taste and collect pre-paid gourmet food on this unique foodie adventure.

Woman in blue dress sitting in a garden, with face upturned.
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Forest Therapy

Unwind with forest therapy (shinrin-yoku) and immerse your senses in nature.

A close-up portrait painting in a realistic style, featuring a woman with curly, dark hair looking directly at the viewer.
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Nathalie Anne: Held In Line

An exhibition that explores what endures when materials meet, transform, and leave their traces.

See all events on this weekend

More to explore

People milling around Fed Square at sunset.

What's on today

Discover free events, epic festivals and shows on in Melbourne today.

A night tennis match at Rod Laver Arena.

Major events

From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Cup, major events take centre stage throughout the year.

Federation square on a sunny day overlooking Flinders Station and the city skyline

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

A chef cooking meat skewers over a flaming grill.
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What's on in November

Things to do in Melbourne in November, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.